VapShot Mini Brings Vaporized Alcohol Into the Comfort of Your Own Home — But Is It a Good Idea?

If drinking is one of your favorite pastimes, just know you might need a new name for it soon. Although commercial vaporizers have been around for a while now, thanks to the Vapshot Mini alcohol vaporizer you can now inhale your booze in the comfort of your own home. But before you throw out your shot glasses and order one right away, you should also know that experts say the devices might be riskier than taking your alcohol the good old fashioned way.

Vaporized alcohol is basically exactly what it sounds like. It's alcohol that's in vapor form and can therefore be inhaled, bypassing the digestion system and letting alcohol absorb directly into the bloodstream. On the plus side, this means that you get a buzz much faster (if that's what you're into), but on the downside it makes it a lot easier to get alcohol poisoning. The product is legal, but experts are also saying it's riskier and that there's more potential for abuse.

Vapshot's website addresses some of these safety concerns. Even though blood alcohol spikes quickly when a person uses Vapshot, their blood alcohol content also returns to zero very quickly as well, usually within 10-15 minutes of inhaling a dose. And even when a person inhales a regular amount every 10 minutes, their blood alcohol level still stays well within the safety levels outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Still, the devices do make it much easier to get lots of alcohol into your bloodstream very quickly and anyone who uses them should be aware of that.

Personally, I'm an old fashioned kind of girl who'd rather sip her margarita than breathe it in, but even I have to admit this thing looks really freaking cool. So if you're looking for a way to up your alcohol game, Vapshot is sleek and portable, so you can take it to a party, set it up by your pool, or bring it along on a camping trip. You can use it with any form of alcohol — just pour it in and then inhale it through a straw. At $700, it's a bit pricey, but if you're looking for something memorable for your next get together, this might be it.